Q&A with Ellen Oh

Ellen Oh is an adjunct college instructor and former entertainment lawyer who one day picked up a Genghis Khan biography and was never quite the same again. It was the start of an obsessive fascination with ancient Asian history that led to years of researching, culminating in writing “Prophecy,” her first novel. Ellen also loves martial arts films, K-pop, K-dramas and cooking shows, and she thinks the “Last Airbender” series was the best animated show ever created. Originally from New York City, Ellen lives in Bethesda, Md., with her husband and three daughters and is always on the hunt for a decent bagel.

What are the best books you’ve read recently?
I read a lot of YA and MG books. And I’m in this great position of being able to get a lot of advanced copies of upcoming books. So I’ll give a mix of recently released books and books coming out soon. Those that were recently released include “Dualed” by Elsie Chapman, “Prodigy” by Marie Lu, “Pivot Point” by Kasie West, “The Madman’s Daughter” by Megan Shepherd, “Geeks, Girls and Secret Identities” by Mike Jung and “The One and Only Ivan” by Katherine Applegate. They are all amazing books. So different and yet all so wonderful!

And then I have the amazing pleasure of reading ARCs of books that are coming out which are simply wonderful. “Dark Triumph” by Robin LaFevers which is the sequel to “Grave Mercy.” I don’t have enough words to explain how much I love these books! “Mirage” by Jenn Reese which is the sequel to “Above World.” A post-apocalyptic western called “Wasteland” by Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan. And “The School of Good and Evil” by Soman Chainani which comes out in May and is going to be my favorite middle grade book of the year. The thing is I’m forcing myself to stop here. I could go on and on because I think that YA and MG books are so wonderful and I really have so many favorites!

What was your favorite book as a child?
You want me to pick just one?!!! :o) As you can see, I have a problem with picking one favorite. Ok, one of my all time favorite books was “The Count of Monte Cristo” by Alexander Dumas. It is without a doubt one of my all time classic favorites! But I also adored “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “The Secret Garden,” “A Little Princess” and the Anne of Green Gables series.

Have you been to the D.C. area before? If so, what is your favorite thing about it?
I’m originally from Brooklyn, NY and I came down here to attend Georgetown University Law Center. I met my husband when I was down here and after graduation and a few years working back in NYC, my husband persuaded me to move to the DC area permanently because he claimed that “he would shrivel up and die if he had to live in NYC.” When I asked why, he said “because I need trees.” To which I responded, “But a Tree Grows In Brooklyn!”

My absolute favorite part of living in this area is going to the Smithsonian museums and all the wonderful festivals that are around the area, like the Gaithersburg Book Festival!

What is the most difficult, or challenging, aspect of being a writer?
I think the hardest part for any writer, unless they’re a pompous ass, is learning when to listen and when to tune out the naysayers. Writers can be very opinionated and defensive and yet at the same time really insecure and paranoid. This comes out in how we interact with other people, how we talk, how we act, and even how we write. In order to become a better writer, I had to tell myself to shut up already and start listening carefully to what’s really being said.

How do you listen carefully? First, you have to take ego out of the equation. All the ego – not just the “I’m the best writer in the world” ego, but the “I suck and can’t even write ‘how to’ manuals for a can opener” ego. This is the hard part, but it’s doable. You have to tell your ego and your critic to shut up and then you have to listen.

Listening carefully means to weed out the negativity. To weed out the naysayers. The people who just want to bring you down (whether on purpose or unconsciously) and say things that undermine your confidence. Listening carefully means recognizing truth from untruths. Not easy to do when your inner critic is bitching at you about how badly you stink. He helps all that negativity take root and you begin to second guess yourself. He needs an ass whooping. When you take your ego and your critic out of the equation, then a negative criticism becomes easier to analyze. It’s easier to consider whether it really has merit or if it’s just trash talk.

As a writer, there will be many times when your ego and your critic will get in the way of your writing. Don’t let them control you. Don’t let them block your forward progress. Tell them to shut up so you can listen carefully. Only then can you find the truths that will work best for you.